Chapter Fifty Three

"That was a nice mirage you used to split up my team." You complimented Atsumi.

"Yes-" Atsumi nods, "Shinkiro has our best quirk."

"If the best you got is a few mirror tricks, then this won't take long." You retort, your gaze flickering over Shiro.

"What makes you think that's the best we have?" Atsumi hummed.

"For starters, your half assed operation that clearly your sister oversaw, and your obvious cluelessness on what to do next, plus you just admitted it so..."

"I can't wait to rip that tongue out of your mouth!" Atsumi sneered. You glanced over to Shiro only to do a double take. He was just standing there.

"Do you need a fucking invitation!?" You snapped, half turning to face him.

"What-?" Shiro blinked, looking from you then to Atsumi. "-oh!"

"Oh, my fuck!" You through your head back as Shiro pulls a silver sphere from his pants pocket, surveying the scene, he noticed the lesser of villain was behind the two of you. Throwing the sphere, the two of you ducked for cover as the villains tilted their heads confused, until the explosion went off throwing them backwards.

Your hand was on Shiro's lower back, the two of you took cover behind fallen debris. Shiro tossed another sphere, gaining ground between you and Atsumi, as the warmth of the blast coated your face exposed skin, you felt a wish for Bakugo to be here—wait—you opened your eyes, that was a new feeling...

"How predictable!" Atsumi spouted.

"How is pulling bombs out of your ass predictable?" Shiro mocked.

"I know you Five." Atsumi calls over the groans and cries of the villains caught in the crossfire.

"I have watched you for years, it's the downside of being a pro-hero they never tell you; your work and skills are displayed over screens across the world, I have studied you from every angle."

"Is it me-?" Shiro leaned against the crumbed stone. "-or she's sounding more and more crazy?"

"I know your one weakness Five-" Atsumi flashed a wicked smile. "-the one thing that can bring even you, the fifth bullet, down."

"Oh yeah-?" You called, holding your handgun, switching the magazines. "-what's that-?" You wondered, "-nougat?"

"No-" Atsumi held her venomous grin as two villains pulled a kicking and screaming figure from the shadows.

"Uh..." Shiro blinked, peeking around the stone, "...I don't see anything."

"Huh?" You frowned, stealing a glance, finding he was right. The two villains just stood a foot apart, hands awkwardly positioned in the air.

"Toru." Her name slides through your lips as the realization hits you, it feel like ice water had been injected into your heart as your stomach rolls around.

"Bless you." Shiro says.

"They have Toru!" You pushed him with your foot.

"What the hell is that!?" Shiro countered.

"She's a fucking student at U.A."

"I didn't see anything."

"She is inviable moron."

"She's-" Shiro turned, peeking around the stone again. "-how the fuck did you caught!?" Shiro yells,

"You are literally invisible, it's your one thing!"

"Shiro." You called, trying to shut him down.

"What!?" Shiro turned,

"How fucking useless do you gotta be to get your ass captured, while being fucking invisible!?"

"Well..."

"Tell me I'm wrong." Shiro challenged. "She's standing in the middle of a dozen villains, you're running on 'E' and I'm not much further behind. Our locations are fucking useless because we are where we are supposed to be, just underground. I don't think those twiddly dumbs are going to find us any time soon, so you tell me how exactly we are going to get her from there-" He points, "-to here without getting one or all three of us killed!"

You snapped your mouth shut.

"That's what I thought. Hey-!" Shiro called, "-only little carrot dicks take hostages! Let the girl go and we can go at it all night long!"

"No thank you!" Someone replied.

Shiro growls, "Fuck!" He scratched the back of his head. "What are we gonna do!"

"You could come out and-"

"Obviously we ain't gonna do that!" Shiro cut Atsumi off, you whipped your head upward, a villain leapt from above, you hadn't noticed him get past you, nor did you hear him climbing over the commotion.

"Hell no!" Shiro twisted, grabbing the man's arm, slamming him headfirst into the stone before wrapping an arm around his neck. "Touch her and I'll snap your fucking neck."

"I-I thought only little carrot sticks take hostages." The villain stuttered.

"Oh, Hunny, it seems like you all did your homework on us, you know how my quirk works-" Shiro smirked, "-you just tell me how deep you want it and I'll oblige-"

"Shiro-!" You snapped.

"What-!?" Shiro retorted, defensively, dropping the villain onto his ass. "-I'm offering, I'm being polite, aren't you the one always telling me to be nicer!?"

"Believe it or not he's not on the registry-" You turned to the man; "-I checked, we didn't get love as a child, I'm sure you can relate."

"Wh-What-?" The villains sputtered, Shiro raised his gun, pointing to the back of the man's head and pulled the trigger, his blood spattered across your jacket, you felt the hot drops hit your cheek.

"Gross." You muttered, using your sleeve to wipe your face.

Storm clouds filled Atsumi's mauve eyes, casting a darkness you knew all too well, she was too far gone to be talked back off the ledge, Kaina limply moved by her side.

"Get them." Atsumi vigorously ordered, the remaining villains stepped into action, running their way towards where you and Shiro took cover. You licked your lips, locking eyes with Shiro before lifting your gun, aimed, then fired four rounds.

You watched the four villains fly backwards, Shiro opened fired on the other side of you, the echo of gunfire rang in your ears as you slowly exhaled, steading your aim and released two rounds.

"Five-" Atsumi sang, "-if you join my side and bow down-" Her eerie tone sent shivers over Shiro's arms. "-I won't have your friend here join my sister's side-"

"Fuck." You breathed.

"Tell me you got it." Shiro called over the gunfire, meaning a plan on how to unfuck yourselves out of this situation.

"Uh..." Your eyes darted around, brain racing.

"Five!" Shiro shouted.

"I'm working on it!" You snapped back.

"By all means-" Shiro reloaded, "-please, take your time!"

"Get your ass up." You ordered, lowering your gun.

"What?" Shiro turned to look at you.

"It's time to go beast mode."

"Really!?" Shiro perked, instantly holstering his weapon, his eagerness left a salty residue, you knew this was a bad idea. "You haven't let me do that in years!"

"Yeah-" You nodded, "-because the last time we were at a fucking bake sale."

"They got dinner and a show." Shiro waved off.

"They were in kindergarten." You retorted.

"So?"

"They all needed therapy after!" You barked, taking two villains down, you quickly retreated as a fire quirk scorched the side of the stone, touching the rough wall, you used your ice to reenforce the ruble, knowing it couldn't take to many more hits without crumbling.

"Trauma builds character-" Shiro continues to defend, itching to go beast mode. "-just look at us!"

"That's what they were worried about." You rolled your eyes, missing the villain with the fire quirk who used his friend as a shield.

"What's the plan?" Shiro quickly asked.

"You take out the guards."

"What are you gonna do?" Shiro pouted at the amount of work he was getting stuck with.

"I'm gonna get the girl."

"Why do you get to be the knight?"

"I look better in the armor." You flashed a smirk.

"Whatever." Shiro grumped, taking a few steps back he locked eyes with you.

"You know to keep your distance."

"I know." You replied, "I know what I'm doing, hurry and go."

You kept the villains at bay while Shiro placed as much space between you and him he possibly could. It didn't take long for the unpleasant crunches and popping slushing around together echoing behind you to reach your ear.

The fire quirk stepped on the front lines of villains glaring down your ice defense. You could feel how annoyed they were, it was two against a dozen, yet they were the ones losing.

"Cover me!" The fire quirk grunted, placing two hands together he formed a ball of flames, a crooked sneer spread across his face as he flung it forward. You ducked around the wall, avoiding looking behind you too far, you saw Shiro shift twice, and it left you with nightmares for weeks, the fireball fizzled against the wall.

"Strike one!" You shouted over a mixture of voices.

"That's not how this works!" The villain screeches, creating a second sphere, repeating the same attack.

"Strike two!" You stiffened you laugh, "One more and you're out!"

"Fuck." The villain muttered under his breath, feeling all eyes on him he began to sweat under the pressure.

"I'm running out of patients, Five!" Atsumi growled, you swallowed the lump forming in your throat, you pulled the trigger, aimed on the closet villain as a warning shot but found you lost track of how many bullets you shot, you were out. The buzzing metallic sound carved shivers up your spine.

A warbled, demonic snarling caused you to flip around. Before you stood a barely human figure, spikes of metal coated Shiro's body as he sulked eight feet in the air, his jerky movements caused you to dart left, the stimuli agitated Shiro, he let out a howl before jerking forward.

You closed your eyes, ignoring the villains' screams as they were gobbled up, made into a light afternoon snack. You raced around the edge of the room, knowing all eyes were locked onto the metalic creature made of jiggered pieces of metal who only responded to sporadic movements and noise.

Your leg groaned as you stepped up behind the first villain, using your elbow you slammed it upward, his eyes watered as he stumbled backwards.

"How the-!?" You punched the second villain, grabbing Toru's glove you turned to face Atsumi and her attempt to stop you, but she was gone as well as Kaina, you didn't have time to search them out, you needed to get away from Shiro.

"What the hell is that!?" Toru cried; you slapped a hand over her mouth. Noise will draw him towards you.

"It's Shiro-" You growled, "-shut up and hold onto me!"

"Why are we leaving him?" Toru whispered as you searched for a way out.

"He can't control himself in this state." You replied, spotting a staircase sign.

"Then why did he-?"

"It was the only way to get you." You answered, pulling her like a ragdoll, you didn't care when she stumbled or almost lost her balance as you jumped and scattered over the fallen debris, gurgled snarls like that of a Tasmanian devil echoed off the wall.

You couldn't pinpoint where Shiro was and there wasn't time to do so, you forced Toru to keep up as you jogged up the stairs.

The plan was to get outside, get Toru to the police blockage, and then come back for Shiro. You threw open the metal door belonging to the first floor, and it slammed against the wall.

"Shit!" You cursed.

Atsumi hugged Kaina, standing in the middle of five men. Her arm locked and loaded pointed towards your chest. You snaked an arm around Toru, spinning the two of you, taking cover behind the receptionist desk of the lobby.

Toru landed in between your legs, her head pressed against your chest. The crack of Atsumi's quirk rang in her ears.

"Of course, they have similar quirks-" You growled "-it would make my life too easy if they didn't!"

As you figured a way around Atsumi and her goons, Toru gazed up at you, an ambrosial scent engulfed her nose. It was Succulently sweet; balmy, and divine, it felt like home.

An idea clicked into your head; it would only work if you knew him like you think you did. You moved Toru to sit beside you, taking in a breath to order her to stay hidden, the air quickly tangled in your lungs the moment you turned around.

"What?" Toru innocently blinked, but you remained too stunned to speak. "What?" She repeated while looking over her shoulder. "(y/n) what!?" She clutched the front of your jacket, fear eating the edges of her heart. "Wha-?" She caught her breath staring at her arm. She pulled it up, eyes flickering at you.

Your lips parted to speak, but nothing sneaked out.

"Can-Can you see me?" Toru breathed.